Finding Hell on Noelle
by cheri1
Summary: 10/Rain Part of Something Old, Something New series and set five years after Rage Against the Dying of the Light. The Doctor takes his family to Noelle for some Christmas shopping but soon uncovers a plot by a man who doesn't have the Christmas spirit.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place five years after Rage Against the Dying of the Light.

Chapter One

"Children!" the Doctor called up the stairs as he shrugged his trench coat over his black pinstriped suit. "Hurry up, we're about to leave!"

The Doctor adjusted his tie, loosening it a bit around the neck of his maroon shirt. He was wearing the outfit Rain had given him on the cruise ship. After wearing it again, he decided to add it to the usual rotation of blue and brown suits he owned. While he was inspecting himself, Rain came down the stairs and smiled as she walked over to him.

"Mmm, you look handsome, Thete. No need to make sure of that," she purred in his ear as she embraced him from behind.

"Just making sure I pass approval, Dear Hearts," he said to her.

"Mmm, you do and then some," she said.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow while she giggled. He stared at her with lust in his eyes. She was wearing a yellow sun dress and brown leather sandals.

"Let's leave the kids here and go to Noelle on our own. What'd ya say?"

"And leave them in the care of your maniac brothers? P'eh, no thank you."

"Making fun of me again, Rainy Painy," Alan said, coming down the steps with Christopher at his side.

At five years old, Christopher looked like a miniature version of his father, something Alan was very proud of. He also was just as funny as his dad, something else Alan loved. Behind them was Rose who was wearing a pink halter top, blue jean shorts and brown leather sandals. Alan had on tan shorts and a midnight blue t-shirt and Christopher was wearing blue jean shorts and a white t-shirt with the local football team, the Kasterborous Komets on it. The Komets logo was a soccer ball that looked like a streaking comet with Kasterborous up above and Komets down below in black block letters. Alan had taken his son to several games and they were both big fans.

"So, you lot are going to the Christmas planet, eh?" Alan said as they walked up to the Doctor and Rain.

"Yup, thought we'd have a little bit of Christmas spirit in the middle of July," the Doctor replied.

"Do you need me to come with you? You know, so I can do the Christmas Rhumba?" Alan said.

"Yes, Daddy, do the rhumba!" Christopher said, jumping up and down. "Do it again. I wanna see it!"

"No, no, we have to wait till Christmas morning before I can do it. It's an ancient traditional Time Lord dance."

Rain giggled when Rose let out a big snort.

"Can we go to the Christmas planet, Daddy?" Christopher asked.

"No, we're going with your Uncle Adam to eat and see a film," Alan replied.

"Awww, I wanna see the Christmas Rhumba," Christopher said, pouting.

"Well, if you're a good boy, maybe I'll do it just for you," Alan said.

Christopher beamed at that and Alan tousled his hair. He waved at the Doctor and Rain.

"Well, you lot have a wonderful time and we'll see you when you return with armfuls of Christmas goodies," he said to them.

"You have fun as well. Be careful," the Doctor said.

"Aren't I always?" Alan said.

Rose and Rain hugged and Rain gave Christopher a kiss on the cheek before they left their house. The Doctor hurried over to the stairs and looked up.

"Sokanon, Chaska, Namid, come on, we have to go get your other brother and sisters," he yelled.

They heard them running and then Chaska and Sokanon hurried down the stairs. Five year old Chaska also looked like a miniature version of his dad except he had dark skin and hair like his mother. He was wearing blue jeans and a Harry Potter t-shirt and wore black converses on his feet. Sokanon looked like a light skinned version of her mother and had on blue jeans and a pink hoodie with Disney's Sleeping Beauty on her chest. On her feet she was wearing little leather sandals. The Doctor gave them both kisses and then hurried up the stairs.

"Namid? Love, are you in here?" the Doctor said, peeking inside.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm here," she said, turning around.

The Doctor came into the room and knelt down beside her. Unlike her sister and brother, Namid had been born blind. Neither the doctors nor the Doctor or Martha or Grace could determine the reason why since her brain and eyes appeared to be normal. The Doctor kept trying to find out the reason behind his daughter's blindness but so far had no success. In the meantime, they had gotten her the best tutors to teach her Braille and help her be independent and tried to accommodate her as much as they could. She walked with a blind person's cane but other than that she was able to do what her sister and brother could do and get around without too much trouble. However, she was not as bold as her brother and sister and a little bit shy and self conscious which the Doctor loved since she was as sweet and caring and introspective as her mother was.

"Do I look okay, Daddy?" Namid said.

The Doctor looked her over. She was wearing blue jean shorts, a purple t-shirt with Disney's Jasmine on it, leather sandals and a pair of glasses that had dark tinted lenses and brown frames.

"You look beautiful, Rainbow," he said to her.

"Good, I wanna look beautiful," she said.

The Doctor chuckled at that and watched lovingly as she grabbed her cane off her vanity table and unfolded it. The Doctor stood up, took her free hand and they walked out together.

"Is everything okay?" Rain asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Everything's fine. Namid just needed a man's opinion on her outfit. I told her that her butt was huge in these trousers and she had a wolverine in her hair which I had to pull out and dispose of."

Namid giggled at that. When they reached the bottom, the Doctor held her hand and took Sokanon's hand while Rain took Chaska's. They walked out of the house and went to the right. Two houses down Jenny, Tara, Julie, Grace, Juliet, Amber, Patty and Tish lived in a large apartment style house. The Doctor and the others jokingly referred to it as the Nunnery which irritated the women no end. The Doctor walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

"Good evening, Sister," he said to Grace when she opened the door. "Art thou fellow nuns ready to accompany us or are they at vespers."

"Get bent, Doctor," Grace said while he and Rain laughed. "When are you gonna stop referring to this place as the Nunnery?"

"When you all marry and move out of it," the Doctor said. "Now is Sister Tara and Sister Jenny available?"

"In a minute, Father Doctor," Grace said dryly.

The Doctor giggled when she yelled out, "Tara! Jenny! The priest is here to get his nuns!"

"Daddy, you're always doing that," Sokanon said to him as they stepped inside.

"I know, it's because it irritates them," the Doctor said with a wink.

The room they were in was a large living room that was used as a common area. The downstairs was for everyone with a kitchen, laundry room, game room, three bathrooms and a garage. At the top of the stairs was a long corridor with doors on either side. Behind each door was a small studio apartment and each woman had her own living room, kitchenette, bathroom and bedroom. The house was huge and there was room for many more tenants besides them but no one else wanted to move in with them at the moment. A moment passed before Tara and Jenny came down the stairs.

"We're here, Father," Tara said. "And when I say Father, I mean I'm carrying on the whole nun joke you guys started."

"Hey, you lot decided to live together here in Estrogen Central. I can't help it if the rest of us blokes look at this place and snicker," he said.

He laughed when Tara gave him a playful slap on the chest. She was wearing blue jeans, purple Converse high tops and a powder blue t-shirt that she got when she attended the Rhyme Lords concert a few years back. The Rhyme Lords was a Gallifreyan boy band that was popular with a lot of the female population on New Gallifrey and something else that the Doctor and the other men poked fun at. Looking at the shirt, the Doctor rolled his eyes when he saw the five singers standing together with wanton looks on their faces.

"You had to wear that thing, didn't ya?" he asked, pointing to it.

"Daddy, quit making fun of them. Just because they can sing and you can't isn't any reason for you to be jealous."

"I can sing! I just choose not to do it on a stage in front of hordes of screaming, emotionally charged females who swoon the moment my shirt lifts and reveals a bit of skin," he protested as they laughed. "If I knew this boy band thing would come out of us making everyone more creative I would have stuck with the pure logic side of things. Just don't be surprised if I can't stop myself from making one or two jokes about them or five or ten or a heap."

He chuckled when she rolled her eyes and kissed her lips. The Doctor smiled at Jenny. She was wearing a purple halter top with tan shorts and black plimsols. Her hair was done up in a tight bun and she had a black plastic comb stuck into the top of it.

"How are you tonight, Angel?" he asked.

"Fine. Just ready and raring to go," she said.

"Well good, because I'm raring to take you there," the Doctor said.

Jenny took hold of his hand.

"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute in private?"

"Sure, Jen, but be brief. We still have to go get Dex," he said.

"It'll just be a moment," she said.

She led him up the stairs to the second door on the right. She opened it and they stepped into the living room of her apartment. It was neat with a small grey sofa and recliner, a wooden table with a crystal lamp on it that sat between them and a television on a wooden table across the way. The carpet was a pale green and the walls were white with wooden shelves above the sofa that had various knickknacks on them and a family portrait across the way on the other wall. The Doctor closed the door and put his hands in his pocket.

"Yes?" he said.

Jenny sighed.

"I heard some more idiots today…talking…about Namid in the supermarket."

The Doctor sighed angrily. Although most people were kind to Namid and had done all they could to accomidate her including putting Braille on the signs, there were some who believed her blindness came from being womb born and not loomed where any blindness could have been weeded out beforehand. No one dared to say anything about it to the Doctor or his family but occasionally someone would overhear them talking about her and what a mistake it was for Rain to give birth naturally. The Doctor shook his head.

"We can't worry about them, Jenny. We won't be able to convince them that Namid's blindness didn't come from being womb born. Just ignore them and let them believe what they want. As long as they don't hurt her, I won't make an issue out of it," he said.

"I know, Dad, I just hate when they do that. Especially since they're doing it behind your back."

"That's because they know better than to come up to me and say that sort of thing to my face," the Doctor said. "They know what I'll do to em if I catch them saying it. Which is why I've never heard it myself. They don't dare say those things if they know I'm nearby."

He smiled at Jenny and put his arm around her.

"But, like I said, it can't be helped. We have improved on the old Gallifrey in many ways, but intelligence always bring with it a certain amount of cruelty and short of brainwashing and enslaving everyone, there's nothing we can do. Let it go, my daughter. Namid knows she's loved and if anyone ever dares hurt her, they better run like hell."

"Too bloody right and I'll be leading the whole damn clan in my race to get at em," Jenny said.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He opened the door and they stepped outside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Have fun, Pa," Amelia said, giving her father a hug.

"You too. I wish I could say I'll miss going to the opera with you and Opal and your ma, but…I won't," he said smugly.

"Now, now, Son. The opera is fabulous," the Doctor said.

"Then you go and I'll take your family to Noelle," Dex said.

"No, no, I'm fine. I'll take them myself," the Doctor said quickly as they giggled.

He accepted kisses from Opal, Amelia and Patience before all of them turned and headed back down the street towards the Doctor's TARDIS.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Right!" the Doctor said as they entered the TARDIS. "Let's get this show on the road!"

As everyone entered, Namid giggled when she felt the TARDIS tickle her mind. For as long as she could remember, she and her siblings had been Gallifreyan and all three of them had bonded with their father's TARDIS, but the TARDIS had a special relationship with her and helped her more than the others because of her blindness. She constantly moved rooms so Namid could find things and even allowed her to help her father fly the TARDIS by emitting a beeping sound at the particular lever or button that she was supposed to push. The TARDIS also whispered to her on occasion, comforting her and giving her encouragement. She had done much the same for her father since he had been distraught when he and Rain first found out she was blind. He had come into the TARDIS by himself to cry after that and when she found out what happened, she had reassured him that Namid could still have a normal life and travel with him even if they never found a cure for her. Since that time, there had been only one instance when she had gotten separated and lost as a toddler and after that time, the Doctor developed an earpiece that resembled a hearing aid. It was designed to fit snugly inside the ear and used the same sonar technology that bats used. It emitted a soft beeping sound that would get fainter and slower the further Namid got from her family. Whenever she walked towards them the beep would get louder and faster until she was next to someone and then it would stop, indicating that she was near a loved one. With that device, Namid was able to explore without having to constantly be at her parent's side.

The other thing the TARDIS found amusing was the fact that the three siblings sometimes used a special language they had made up to communicate with each other. The Doctor had asked her several times to translate it for him and she refused which irritated him to no end. She then pointed out that he frequently requested that she not translate his Gallifreyan back when he traveled with human companions.

"Yeah, but the little buggers could be plotting against me and I wouldn't know it," he would say.

As the Doctor set the controls to take them to Noelle, everyone else milled about the console room. Chaska came up beside his father and stared at the controls intently, trying to memorize what he was doing. The Doctor smiled at him and ruffled his slightly tousled hair.

"Trying to be me, Son?" he said to him.

"Uh-huh, I wanna be just like you, Daddy."

His hearts warmed at that and he kissed his head before moving around him to another section. Tara came up beside him as he flipped a switch.

"Need any help, Dad?" she asked.

"Nope, have it all well in hand, thanks."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and moved past her to another section. He paused when Sokanon got in front of him.

"This thing is crazy!" she said, flinging up her arms. "How you know what to do? It's so complicated!"

"Well, I have a Time Lord mind which you'll have when you reach twenty," he said as he swiveled the paperweight slightly.

"Then what happens? Will I explode?" she said melodramatically.

"Yeah, your little noddle will go kaboom-kaboom!" the Doctor whispered as he got in her face.

"Ooo, that'll be messy," Sokanon whispered back.

"Yeah, which is why you won't be in here when it happens," the Doctor whispered.

He giggled at her laughter and kissed her nose before moving around her. He finished fiddling with the TARDIS and sat down beside Dex on the jump seat.

"Kids, let's go use the bathroom before we go outside," Rain said to them.

"Yeah, I don't want ya peeing all over me!" the Doctor said.

"Shut up, Daddy!" Sokanon said, giggling.

"Oi, you don't say that to me, I say that to you cause I'm the parent," he said, thrusting his finger in her face.

He pulled it back when she tried to bite it.

"Oi, you're a holy terror, you are," he said as she and Chaska giggled. "I'm gonna have to keep my eye on you and keep you away from your Uncle Alan. In fact, let me say that right now. No more going over to his house. He's becoming a bad influence on ya."

"You're a bigger bad influence on me, Daddy," Sokanon said as she and Chaska went past him.

"Am not!" the Doctor said.

Are too!" Sokanon said, looking back over her shoulder.

"Am not!"

"Are too, too, too, too, too, too, too…"

The Doctor giggled as she continued saying "too" as she followed her mother and Chaska through the door. The Doctor glanced at Dex and shook his head before looking over at Namid who was standing beside him.

"Love, didn't you hear your mum?" he asked.

"I already used the toilet, Daddy."

"Oh. Okey-dokey then, have a seat next to me."

Namid reached out, felt the seat and then sat down beside him.

"I wanna ask you something," Namid said to him.

"The answer is no," the Doctor said quickly.

Namid giggled.

"You didn't even hear what I was gonna say."

"Don't matter, answer's still no."

"I can't get Uncle Alan something?"

"Such as?" the Doctor said.

"Dunno, what does he like that Christmasy?"

The Doctor glanced at Dex.

"I'm thinking something that a three year old would like, Father," Dex replied.

The Doctor sniggered.

"Yes, my love, get him something that makes noises and lights up and that'll hold his interest for hours. Oh, and make sure it won't irritate Rose or you'll never hear the end of it."

_Love, aren't you going to use the toilet?_ Rain thought to Namid.

_No, Mummy, I'm fine. I went before we left the house,_ Namid thought back.

_Alright, Darling, just checking._

The Doctor eyed her.

"You better not have to go two seconds after we get out of this ship, young lady, or I'll find a wet noodle and give you a spanking with it."

Namid giggled.

"I won't go, Daddy. I won't go for a zillion years."

"Well…you can eventually go to the toilet, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying as soon as I close the door you better not turn around and beat on it and tell me your bladder's full."

Namid giggled again and leaned against her father. He smiled and kissed her head tenderly as he sent love into her mind. She was silent for a moment sitting with her father and brother while everyone else went to use the restroom and get a drink of water. Then she put up a privacy block around the Doctor's mind.

_Daddy, I need to tell you something secret,_ she thought to him.

_Oh? What kind of secret thing do you need to tell me?_

_I had another dream._

The Doctor raised his eyebrow. They had realized some time back that Namid possessed some clairvoyance and had psychic dreams on occasion. She also was able to somehow tap into his memories and had dreams about his former selves and Gallifrey even though the Doctor had never really mentioned anything to her. At first he figured it was Romana but she knew things about his first three lives that he had never told his friend. It was disconcerting knowing that her daughter could see things from his past but at the same time it was intriguing since she seemed to be the only one who possessed this ability. The Doctor often wondered if her blindness was the cause of it since the blindness had naturally heightened her other senses. He surmised that perhaps her sixth sense had been heightened as well. Trying to appear casual, he stared at the rotor while he thought back to her.

_What kind of dream?_ He thought.

_I dreamed about your fifth life. He came and talked to me and said he was happy with the way things were going,_ she thought back.

_Did he now? I'm glad my fifth life approves,_ he thought back.

_Yeah, he likes me a lot. He said so._

_Well, of course he does, Rainbow. That's me you're talking to and I like you,_ he thought.

_He told me to tell you not to worry, that I'll be alright and I'll grow up to be a great Time Lady._

The Doctor swallowed hard and fought to keep from crying at that.

_Good, because I feel the same way, _he thought back. _Is there anything else you remember?_

_Not really, we were on Gallifrey and he showed me the southern mountains where you used to play. They're pretty, Daddy._

The Doctor smiled at that.

_Yes, yes, they were, Love,_ he thought.

The Doctor jerked his head over when he heard a squealing and saw Tara run out into the console room with Jenny running behind her.

"Quit, you dork!" Tara said as Jenny chased her.

"Now what are you doing?" the Doctor said.

"She's licking her finger and trying to put it on my cheek," Tara said as she ran around the console and sat on the Doctor's lap.

"Honestly, my five year olds act more mature compared to you two," the Doctor said as Namid giggled. "You know, Jenny, it's hard for me to believe you act the way you do since I remember you being a stern little soldier when I first met you."

"Yeah, well, years of training by you took that outta me besides the little git had it coming when she put the ice cube down the back of my shirt."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow and looked at Tara.

"She had it coming when she pulled my hair," Tara protested.

The Doctor looked at Jenny.

"I just felt like pulling her hair," she said, shrugging.

"And I wonder why my kids got to be so wild," Dex said. "It's because of these two."

"We can't help it. We're just a pair of bratty sisters," Tara said.

"You said it, I didn't," the Doctor said while they giggled.

Tara embraced Namid.

"Course no one's as wild as Sissy here," she said while she hugged her.

"I don't think I'm that wild," she said while they laughed.

"Eh, give her time," Jenny said. "She's only five, she's just getting warmed up."

"Are you alright, Honey?" Tara asked Namid.

"Yup, just sitting with Daddy and Bubber," she said to her. "Why?"

"I just wondered if Daddy was pulling his hair out yet because you were giving him grief."

Namid looked his way.

"I don't know," Namid said.

The Doctor grinned and lowered his hair, letting his daughter feel his tousle.

"Nope, he has his hair," she said as they laughed.

Jenny kissed her cheek.

"Well, you're gonna have to work harder then if you wanna make his hair fall out, Sis," she said to her.

"Okay, cept I wonder what he'd look like bald?" Namid mused.

The Doctor snickered and projected an image of himself when the Master aged him a hundred years. He laughed when he saw Namid's eyes widen behind her glasses.

"Daddy, you look weird. Did that really happen or you just making that up?"

"Nope, that really happened, Rainbow. An old enemy did that to me."

"Did you poop your pants when you were that old?"

Tara and Jenny bent over laughing and Dex snickered when the Doctor gave her a shocked look.

"I beg your pardon, Cheeky!" he said to her. "No, I didn't poop on myself when I was that old. I had self control, thank you very much."

"He didn't poop on himself, Mi-mi, he just drooled all over the place," Jenny said.

They laughed when Jenny avoided the Doctor's hand when he tried to swat at her hair.

"And on that note, I think it's time to land the TARDIS," the Doctor said, getting up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Okay, kids, wait here while I put Namid's earpiece in," the Doctor said when everyone stepped out of the TARDIS.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out several flesh colored earpieces. He passed them out to everyone and then bent down beside his daughter. He gently put hers in her right ear and pressed a flesh colored button in the center of it, turning it on.

"Is that comfortable?" he asked Namid.

"Yeah."

"Good," he said as he slipped his own earpiece in.

"Daddy, what's around us?" she asked him.

He looked around. They were parked alongside a small white cinderblock building. Christmas music filled the air and artificial snow covered the ground as human and aliens walked along the pavement sightseeing and shopping. The smells of baking gingerbread, pine trees and roast turkey filled his nostrils.

"Well, from here I see a sweet shop, a couple of gift shops and a stage with carolers on it, that's where the music's coming from. Why? You wanna go somewhere special first?"

"Is there somewhere I can get Uncle Alan something special?"

"Why are you fixated on Uncle Alan?" he teased.

"Cause Uncle Alan helps me a lot and I just wanna get him something special."

"I see and the rest of us get junk, eh?"

She giggled and nodded her head rapidly.

"Fine then. I see where I stand with you," he said, standing back up.

"No, I love you, Daddy. I'll get you a special gift," she said, taking his hand.

"What about your mummy?"

"Her too."

"What about your brothers and sisters?"

"Nah."

"Better not let them hear that then," the Doctor said.

He started to walk off with the others but Namid stopped him.

"Daddy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rainbow."

"Sometime, can you tell me the story of when you became old?"

He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"How could I refuse a request like that when it's put so sweetly," he said.

He took her hand again and they walked out with the others. Suddenly, a male alien with blue skin and small white spots ran into Namid in a rush to get somewhere. The Doctor grabbed her when she nearly toppled over. They glared at the alien when he didn't stop to apologize.

"HEY, YOU ALMOST HURT MY SISTER!" Chaska screamed at it in a rage.

The alien stopped, gave him a disdainful look and hurried on. Chaska's mouth dropped open and he began to go after him when he felt the Doctor's hand on his shoulder.

"Son, it's alright, let it go," he said gently.

"But he almost knocked her down."

"But she's okay now. It won't do to go after the bloke and get your lights punched out. Okay. Just calm down, Te'lasau," he said, stroking his son's cheek.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the fire leaving his eyes. Like him and Dex, Chaska had a fiery temper but unlike them, he hadn't learned how to rein it in when it was appropriate. The Doctor had been trying to work on that so Chaska would be calmer and not plunge headlong into a situation that could get him killed. He could see the guilt in his son's eyes at his outburst and Rain and Dex both came up and put their hands on his shoulders.

"Sorry, I just…I hate when people are mean to my sister," Chaska mumbled.

"When has anyone ever been mean to your sister?" the Doctor asked, fearing the answer.

"I've…heard people say mean things about her before."

The Doctor closed his eyes briefly. He had been afraid of that. He was hoping the gossip would never reach his children's ears. He only hoped that Namid would never hear it. He knew though it was only a small minority who were doing the gossiping, otherwise he would pack his things and take his family off the planet. He shook his head and switched to a privacy block with him as he took his hand and Rain went to get Namid and Sokanon's hands.

_Son, you can't say anything to your sister about what those people are saying_, he thought to him as they walked towards the sweet shop.

_I won't, Daddy, _Chaska thought._ But why are they saying it? They said her being blind was 'cause Mummy gave birth to her._

_I know, my hearts, it's because they don't understand, _the Doctor thought to him. _Our people are born from the looms, but you and your sisters were born from your mummy and they think it's because she came from your mummy that she's blind. _

_But that's dumb. I came from Mummy and I'm not blind._

_I know, my son, that's my point. But when you're born in a loom, all the imperfections are gotten rid of before the baby comes out and they think if your mummy had done it that way then the blindness would have been caught and gotten rid of before she was born. Maybe they're right but I love that you three came from your mummy and not a machine. _

_But if our people come from looms, how come we came from Mummy?_

The Doctor grimaced at that, remembering the enslavement he and Rain had endured and the forced sex that created his three precious children. He obviously had never told them about that and he doubted he ever would.

_Because your mummy and I love each other so much that we wanted to make a baby together, _he _thought. And I'm glad we did because you three resemble us and sometimes that doesn't happen with the looms. Unfortunately, you inherited my temper along with my looks and that's something we really need to work on, Te'lasau, because that temper could get you into trouble one day._

_I'm sorry, Daddy, I just…_

_I know you love your sister and you were only protecting her and that's fine. I love that you and Sokanon look out for her but you have to learn when to fight and when to let it go and that just then was a let it go moment. You need to pick your battles, Son, trust me. Okay?_

Chaska nodded and he sent love into his mind as he squeezed his hand. All of them entered the sweet shop and looked around at the hundreds of different kinds of candy all in clear plastic bins. He put his hand on Chaska's shoulder and looked at his daughters.

"You can pick out one sweet and I'll get all of you a half pound sack for treat time, alright?" he said to all of them.

They nodded and the Doctor ruffled Chaska's hair before letting him go explore. The Doctor walked over to his wife who took his hand.

"I think we better teach him self control before he reaches adulthood because if we don't, he's gonna run through all thirteen lives in a year or two," he said to her.

"He's a child, Love. Children are more impulsive. Besides, he's been that way for a couple of years now. He's protective of both his sisters."

"I know and I can't fault him for that," the Doctor said in a low voice. "But I didn't realize until now that he's heard that bullshit gossip and if he gets older and he gets near someone who says the wrong thing…Love, I really don't wanna bail him out of jail or watch him regenerate before its time. For his sake, it's got to stop. He's like me and you know how I was before Imiko stepped in. And Dex as well. Dex nearly killed you and then wiped your identity because of his rage. I can't let that continue with our son."

Rain nodded and squeezed his hand as they followed Jenny and Tara further into the store. They heard a click, click, click and turned to see Namid coming towards them, her cane making a soft click as she navigated down the narrow aisle between the candies.

"Daddy?" she asked, coming up to him.

"Yes, Love?"

"I need your help. I want lemon drops. Do you see them anywhere?"

Rain and the Doctor looked around.

"Aha," the Doctor said, spying them near the back.

He took his daughter's hand and walked with Rain over to the tiny yellow sweets that were packed into one of the plastic bins. Once they reached it, the Doctor grabbed a plastic baggie and filled it with a small plastic scoop while Rain stood with Namid. Namid looked around as she listened to her family and the snatches of conversation from the other patrons.

"Your lemon drops have been procured, my sweet," the Doctor said, leaning over her. "Would you like one now?"

"Okay."

She opened her mouth and the Doctor popped one in. She sucked on it while the Doctor and Rain each took one for themselves. They all walked over to Chaska and Sokanon who were arguing over what to get. The Doctor spied some licorice whips nearby and took down a plastic baggie.

"What ya gettin', Daddy?" Namid asked.

"Licorace. Black licorice," he said, pulling some out of the bin and putting it in his bag. "Want one?"

"No, I don't like licorice that much," she said.

"Suit yourself, Miss Lemon Drop," he said.

He smiled when Tara came up beside him. He glanced down at the bag in her hand and saw she had jelly beans.

"Ooo," he said, reaching in for a few.

"Daddy, don't. You can't eat them before you pay," Tara whispered.

"I can do what I want, when I want, how I want, why I want, where I want," he said to her before he popped them in his mouth.

"Sir, you can't eat those without paying for them."

The Doctor turned and saw a blonde woman glaring at him. She was dressed in white trousers, a red shirt and had a little nametag that said Steven's Sweet Shop on it above her name, Joan.

"Sorry," the Doctor said, sheepishly, as Tara fought to keep from laughing.

Joan glared at him and walked back up to the cash register.

"Yeah, that's telling her, Mister I Can Do What I Want When I Want. You read her the riot act alright."

"Isn't there something you should be doing that involves being inside the TARDIS?" the Doctor asked as Tara chuckled and kissed his cheek.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After getting their candy, the Doctor quickly paid for it, ignoring Joan's glare in the process. Once he was finished, he ushered his children out the door and everyone put the sweets in the adult's pockets.

"Right, where to next?" the Doctor said, looking around.

He noticed Namid gravitating towards the carolers, her cane clicking out a rhythm on the pavement. The Doctor looked at Rain.

"I'll go with her if you lot wanna go into another shop," he said to her.

Rain nodded. She took Chaska and Sokanon's hands and she and the rest of the family walked towards a toy shop just past the stage. The Doctor hurried after his daughter and caught up to her. Namid turned her face towards him.

"You're coming with me, Daddy?"

"Yes, I am and how'd ya know it was me?"

She giggled.

"I smell you."

"Smell me? I had a shower this morning."

She laughed as they walked.

"No, I can smell your all the time smell."

"Oh, I see. You're like your mum. I smell like time and the universe then?"

Namid frowned.

"No, you smell like biscuits."

The Doctor was taken aback.

"Buscuits?" he said.

"Yeah, chocolate chip biscuits."

She giggled when she heard the Doctor snort his hand loudly.

"Really? I don't smell it."

"I can. It smells good."

"What does your mum smell like?"

"Bananas."

He laughed.

"Oh, now I can explain that one. That's cause your mum uses banana shampoo," he said as they stopped in front of the stage. "So does everyone have a smell?"

"Yup. That's how I know who's who."

"And I smell like chocolate chip biscuits."

"I think you do. I like it," Namid said.

He rubbed her back.

"So, after this and a peek at the shops, you wanna go try to find Father Christmas so you can sit on his lap and tell him what you want?"

Namid thought about that.

"I don't think he can give me what I want, Daddy, "she finally said.

"What? Is it a pony?" he said with a grin.

"No, I wanna see like Chassy and Nonny can."

The Doctor felt like his hearts were thudding to a halt in his chest. He desperately fought the tears that were threatening to come down his face. Namid said nothing for a moment and then looked up towards his face.

"Daddy, don't cry," she said.

The Doctor put on a brave smile.

"What makes you think I'm crying, Rainbow?" he said trying to keep his voice cheerful.

"Cause I know you and I know you don't like me being blind," she said to him. "And the TARDIS told me that you cried when you found out I couldn't see."

The Doctor looked around and led her to a nearby bench. He sat down with her and hugged her tightly.

"When I did that, Sweetie, when I first cried it was because I thought you wouldn't be able to travel with me and that's partly why I've tried to find out the reason behind your blindness and help you see again. But you know what? You've overcome not being able to see and you've become a sweet, independent little girl. And you know what else? You're very brave too," he said, stroking her cheek. "You don't let anything stop you. Not even being blind gets in your way and that's what I love about you. You never give up and I've never seen you get frustrated over anything. You just take everything in stride. You're only five and yet you've shown so much courage, it just makes my hearts pop with pride. "

"Then why are you crying, Daddy?"

"Because I didn't think being blind bothered you that much. You don't show it, Sweetheart, and I s'pose that's something you inherited from me. You're like me in that you're very good at hiding your true emotions."

"Are you going to help me see, Daddy?"

"I'll do everything in my power to make that happen for you, Rainbow."

"Okay, then I won't ask Father Christmas for that. I'll ask for a doll."

The Doctor laughed as a tear finally escaped his eye and he kissed his daughter's cheek.

"You know, when I met your mummy, I thought I was so blessed but then came your uncles and aunts and grandparents and cousins and your brothers and sisters and I thought it couldn't get any better and then came you three and I don't think the universe could bless me anymore now."

"Well, I was in Heaven and the angels came up to me and said, you wanna go be born? And I said, okay. So they said, okay, you pick your mommy and daddy and I looked around and saw you and I said, I'll take him and the pretty lady with him. So the angels said, okay. So…here I am."

The Doctor brushed a tear away.

"Well," he said after regaining his composure, "thanks for choosing me and Mummy."

"You're welcome. I didn't know it was gonna be crowded though in Mummy's belly. I s'pose heaps of people wanted to be your kids cause you're the greatest daddy in the whole universe."

The Doctor wished at that moment that his daughter could see his smile because it was more than ear to ear; it was almost around his entire head. Namid laughed when he poured love into her mind and rained down kisses on her face, hard and fast, each one a silent thank you to the universe for bringing her and her brother and sister into his life. When he was finished, he put his nose against hers and gave her an Eskimo kiss before finishing up with a kiss to the forehead.

"So, you still wanna see Father Christmas then?" he asked her.

"Yes, but I wanna go shopping first."

"Yeah, just like a woman."

"Oi, you be quiet, you cheeky thing!" she squealed at him.

He giggled and gave her a tight hug as he rubbed her back.

"Come on, Rainbow, let's go find your family and do some shopping, yeah?" he said as they stood up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

When they entered the toy shop, Sokanon took her sister's hand and they walked off towards the back while the Doctor and Rain looked through the dolls.

"I think we should get Uncle Alan a toy," Sokanon said to her sister. "He likes stuff like that."

"Yeah, but what do we get him?" Namid said.

"Dunno, something boys would like," Sokanon replied.

They walked to the back of the store and saw a red racecar sitting on a shelf near the top. Sokanon took it down and did what her father taught her and Chaska to do; she projected a mental image of it into her sister's head.

"I like that. I think Uncle Alan likes cars," Namid said nodding.

Sokanon studied the box it came in. Her father had been teaching them to read at the same time Namid was learning to read Braille but she was only able to make out a few words.

"What's wrong?"

"Trying to see if the car goes, you know, like an electric car. I can read some of the words on the box but not all of em."

She saw the Doctor and Rain coming towards them with a shopping trolley.

"Hold on, Mi-mi, Daddy's coming. I'll ask him. Wait here."

"Okay."

She waited while her sister took the car over to her parents. While she was waiting, she heard someone come up beside her. She paused a moment. The scent was unfamiliar. She turned her head towards the stranger.

"Hi," she said cheerfully.

"Hello."

Namid smiled when she realized it was a little girl.

"I'm Namid, what's your name."

"Suki."

"Hi, are you with your mummy and daddy?"

"No, I'm lost."

Namid frowned.

"You're lost?"

"Yeah, some guy hurt my daddy and tried to take me away with him but I ran from him and now I can't find my daddy anywhere."

"Here, you take my hand. My daddy can help," she said, holding her hand out.

Suki took her hand and she used her cane as she walked towards the sound of her father's voice.

"Daddy?"

The Doctor was talking with her daughter about the car. He and Rain had their backs to Namid. Rain turned at the sound of her voice and gasped. The Doctor spun around and his eyes widened when he saw his daughter leading a bloodied and bruised little girl towards him. She had long brown hair that was in ringlets and a chubby baby face with wide blue eyes. There was a thin line of dried blood under her left nostril and bruises on her cheeks and arms. She was dressed in a blue shirt and tan trousers that also had blood splatters all over them.

"Daddy, this is Suki, she says someone tried to take her from her daddy and she got away but she's lost."

The Doctor bent down to examine her while Sokanon came up beside Rain.

"Mommy, what happened to her?" Sokanon said.

"I think someone hit her, Love," Rain replied.

"Hi, Suki, I'm the Doctor. I'm Namid's daddy. You said someone took you from your daddy?"

Suki nodded.

"What happened?" he asked as everyone gathered around him.

"I was shopping with my daddy and this man came up and tried to grab me and when my daddy tried to stop him, the man hurt him and hurt me and tried to take me away but I bit him and ran."

"And you hid in here?" the Doctor asked.

Suki nodded.

"Don't tell anyone I'm here," she said.

The Doctor smiled gently.

"I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. But I wanna see where you were when he took you. I wanna try to find your daddy, okay?"

Suki nodded.

"How old are you?"

"Seven. But if we go back there, what if the man is there?"

"Then he'll get a beating from me," the Doctor said.

He stood up and took her hand. He took Namid's hand and Rain took Sokanon's. They walked over to Dex and Jenny who were looking at some jigsaw puzzles with Chaska.

"Oh my God," Jenny said when she saw Suki.

"Father, what happened?" Dex said.

The Doctor quickly explained the situation.

"Can you lot look after the children for a moment while I see if I can find her father?" he asked them.

The other three adults nodded.

"Daddy, I wanna go," Chaska said.

The Doctor held up his hand when his sisters joined in the begging.

"No, it's not safe. I want you to stay here. I won't be long, I hope. Just go ahead and shop and I'll sort this out."

He smiled at Suki and walked with her out into the street.

"Now, Suki, you show me where you were when someone tried to take you," he said gently.

Suki pointed off to her left and led the Doctor away. While they walked, the Doctor was shocked when he realized that not many people were noticing Suki's appearance and those that did glared at him as if he were the one responsible before hurrying away. He suddenly realized how Suki could have made it back to the toy shop without anyone alerting the authorities and anger bubbled up inside him as he wondered if they would have let the man get away with her even if Suki had screamed for help.

Suki led him through a couple of alleys and across two streets before they found the building her and her dad had been at. The Doctor swallowed hard when he drew close to the building and saw a human body lying in the shadows in the alley next to it.

"Suki, Love, stay by the entrance to the alley, yeah?" he said to her.

Suki nodded and he let go of her hand. He walked over to the body and turned it over. He swallowed hard when he saw a blaster wound just below his neck. The man's sightless eyes gazed up and his mouth hung open.

"Daddy?"

The Doctor jerked his head around and saw Suki behind him.

"Daddy?" she said hesitantly.

The Doctor, sensing she was about to lose it, quickly turned and held her. He gave her a tight hug as he felt her warm body shaking with quiet sobs.

"Daddy? Daddy's not…"

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart."

He held her closer when she began to cry and he rubbed her back.

"Is your mummy here, Love?" he asked gently.

"No," she said between sobs. "She's back home."

"Where's home?"

"Iris."

"Ah, I see. I've been there before. It's a beautiful planet. I'll tell you what. Let's go find a policeman and see if they can help you call your mummy and get you back home, yeah?"

"What about Daddy?"

The Doctor held her tighter.

"We'll get someone to look after him too," he said to her. "But I want you to tell the police what this man looks like so they can go find him and put him in jail for this, okay?"

"Yes," she said softly.

The Doctor held her close and stood up with her.

"Don't worry, Suki, I've got ya and no one's gonna take you away while I'm around," he said to her. "We'll go find the police and I'll make sure you're safe before I leave you, okay?"

"Yes."

The Doctor smiled at her and got her to smile in return.

"Come on, Love, let's go find someone who can help," he said as they walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Back on New Gallifrey, Alan, Adam and their families were eating at a fancy restaurant in the downtown section of Kasterborous City. Like everything else on the planet, the city had grown in the past two centuries to become a thriving metropolis with restaurants, theaters, clubs, zoos, parks and more. Alan was proud of what had become of their great experiment and happy that not only had Gallifrey come back from the dead, it was in many ways superior to the old. The restaurant they were at belonged to a very old friend of the Doctor's named Zax. Back when everything was just starting out, they set up an academy similar to the one the Doctor went to but they also made it more like an Earth university that would teach many subjects rather than just Time Lord knowledge. One of the things offered was a course in how to speak Gallifreyan that he, Adam, John, Theta and the Doctor took turns teaching, one person taking the class for a year and rotating in a five year schedule until someone else could take over for them. Zax had been in the Doctor's class and he had helped mentor him along with several others who weren't as exceptionally gifted as the others. He also encouraged his love of food and helped him go on to become a chef. They had become close friends and instead of calling him the Doctor, Zax honored his mentor by calling him Val'yak which was Gallifreyan for Learned Teacher.

After he opened his restaurant, Star Dust, the Doctor, Alan and the rest of the family ate there almost every time they went out, partly for the delicious food and partly to see Zax. His restaurant was also unique in that it was the only one on New Gallifrey to serve only Earth food. Back when he was his student, the Doctor took Zax to several planets so he could sample the cuisine and decide what he wanted to specialize in. He fell in love with Earth food and the Doctor taught him how to make several dishes before he finally graduated and acquired a TARDIS of his own. Since then he had been back and forth between New Gallifrey and Earth and when he finally got enough credits to open his restaurant he concentrated solely on Earth food. He used the TARDIS and the magic wallet the Doctor had given him to purchase what he needed and he still made trips to Earth with his staff to get the ingredients for his meals. In addition to that, he also became a lover of Earth in general and picked out the nickname George after George Harrison, a favorite Earth singer of his. Once they were seated, Sasha, their waitress and another friend informed Zax that they were there after she took their orders. Zax quickly turned over control of the kitchen to his friend and co-owner, Wentzel, and went out to see them.

"Ah, here again?" Zax said as he walked out onto the patio where they were sitting at a large circular table.

He was one hundred and seventy seven with a tall, thin body and a light complexion. Freckles dotted his chubby cheeks that had dimples in them. His blonde hair hung loosely off either side of his face and came down to his shoulder. The tips of them had been dyed black, a Gallifreyan fad among the "teenagers". He had blue grey eyes and a warm smile. He was dressed in an Earth chef's outfit, another preference he picked up from his travels.

"Yup, George, we just love coming to your place," Alan said.

"Especially since you always give us a huge discount," Adam added.

Zax chuckled and gave them all warm hugs.

"Where's Val'yak and Rain and the children?" he asked.

"They've gone to Noelle for the evening," Rose said.

"Noelle?" Zax said, amused. "Isn't it a bit early for Christmas?"

"Eh, I think it's Christmas when Brother says so," Alan replied.

Zax chuckled.

"Well, invite me over. You know how much I love Christmas," he said to them.

"George, I think you like Earth things in general," Adam replied.

"Yup, you can blame Val'yak for that," he said. "So, what will you be having tonight? The usuals?"

The adults glanced at each other.

"I do," Adam said.

"Me too," Marion added.

"Dunno," Rose said, making a face. "Kinda bored with chicken lately. Can you give me a moment?"

"Certainly," Zax said. "And you, Alan?"

He thought it over.

"Yeah, I'll have the double cheeseburger and chips again," he said.

"A wise choice."

He smiled at Christopher.

"And for the little man?"

"Frog? What do you want?" Alan asked.

Christopher scrunched up his face while he thought.

"I want a burger, Daddy," he finally said.

"Can we have a kid's sized burger with chips and a Coke?"

"Yes, you can. And for David?"

"I want a burger too," David replied.

"Give him the same order as Chris," Adam said to Zax.

"And you, Rose?" Zax said.

"I think I'll have the spaghetti and meatballs with a light salad and some hot tea."

" Okay, I'll have my staff fix it straight away so it'll be out to you as soon as possible and if you pardon me a moment, I also need to give you something to give to Val'yak."

He got up and walked back into the restaurant.

"What're we gonna see at the cinema, Daddy?" Christopher asked Alan.

"Not sure. Wanna see something scary?" he said with wide eyes. "Dalek Bloodbath is playing."

"No!" Christopher said.

"You don't wanna watch the Daleks invade the Gallifrey Academy and kill all the Time Lords?"

"No!"

"Blast, I was looking forward to Dalek Bloodbath," Alan said, leaning back in his seat. "How about Under The Burnt Orange Sky? That's a romance."

"No!"

"Well, what do you wanna see, little Frog?"

"Tinker the Tumbly Robot."

"Ugh, that's a kid's film," Alan said, making a face.

"I am a kid."

"Well, I'm not…and don't you open your mouth, Rose," he said to her when she started to say something. "I left childhood a long time ago."

Rose gave him a skeptical look.

"Well, I did," he muttered as she patted his knee.

Sasha returned with their drinks followed by Zax who had a newspaper in his hands.

"Don't know if you've seen today's newspaper," he said, handing it to Alan.

"No, I haven't," he said.

"Look at the front page."

Alan unfolded the Rassilonian Review and read the headline on the front page. He groaned as Zax nodded.

"What is it?" Marion said.

He passed it to her. Marion and Adam leaned in and read…

DOCTOR TO BE HONORED IN CEREMONY.

Marion snorted.

"Yeah, just try to get him to come to that ceremony," Marion said as Rose took the paper from her and read the article.

"Honored for what?" Adam asked.

"Apparently for everything he's done for us and this planet. You lot were the ones who thought of finding this planet and creating a new Gallifreyan society. The High Council apparently wanna honor him now and unveil a statue of him in the middle of London Park."

"Yeah and two seconds after they unveil it, he'll take a sledgehammer to it," Adam said dryly.

Zax frowned.

"I don't understand. Why would Val'yak be so afraid of being honored after all the good things he's done?"

"Because he just prefers to do the good things and leave without any fanfair," Rose said to him. "He's never been comfortable with people's adulation and their thinking he's some kind of hero or god or mythical figure. He'd rather just be a husband and brother and father…"

"And uncle and grandfather and cousin and second cousin and third cousin and…"

Adam was interrupted by Marion who punched his arm and gave him a warning look. Adam shrugged and took a sip of his Coke.

"Anyway, just letting you know so you can warn Val'yak beforehand," Zax said. "It's up to him whether or not he wants to attend but I wish he would. He's means so much to a lot of us and especially to me. We never would have known life if it hadn't been for him and you. So I'm hoping he'll get over his distaste of ceremonies and come and let us honor him."

"We'll pass this along to him," Alan said. "But don't be too disappointed if he declines."

Zax nodded.

"I better see about your meals. Just tell my old teacher I said hello, yeah?"

They nodded and waited till he went back inside the restaurant before they went back to their conversation.


End file.
